Drum beater for bass drum

ABSTRACT

A pedal operated drum beater device (20) comprises a pedal (22) and a drum beater (24) mounted on shaft (36). The pedal (22) is coupled to shaft (36) by linkages (38, 40) such that depressing the pedal causes the shaft (36) to rotate, advancing the drum beater (24) from a rest position to an operative position. The downward movement of the pedal (22) is opposed by the resilience of elastomeric strip (26) which stretches and bends as the drum beater (24) moves into the operative position. The device (20) is attached to a drum by drum clamp (82), formed in two parts which consist of a drum-mounted rim clamp and a device-mounted, clamp holder. The rim clamp and clamp holder are releasably interlockable through pivotal engagement.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a pedal operated drum beater device.

BACKGROUND ART

Pedal operated drum beater devices are well known and are commonly usedwith bass drums. It has been found that the performance of certainmusicians is hampered when using conventional devices. One of theproblems encountered relates to the spurious noise generated by themoving parts within the known device; and another relates to the delayedreturn of the pedal to its staring position after the drum beater hasstruck the drum. Yet another problem with known drum pedals concernsaccurate positioning of the drum pedal relative to the bass drum.

Patent specification U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,710 discloses a drum pedalassembly having an inherent escapement mechanism. A drum beater issuspended from a shaft which is rotated by downward movement of the footpedal. After rotation to strike a drum, the drum beater returns to itsrest position under the action of gravity once the downward force on thepedal is removed. The assembly is designed such that the drum beatercounter-balances the foot pedal, decreasing the need for a springtypically employed to provide the escapement or return force. However,for faster return action, a secondary escapement force may be providedby an elastic band suspended between frame posts which support theshaft. As the drum beater is rotated into the strike position, theelastic band is stretched into a bowed configuration.

U.K. patent application published as GB 2211013A addresses the problemof accurate positioning of the drum pedal relative to the bass drum. Infact, the specification relates to a support for holding the drum at aprescribed beating position at a selected height and tilt orientation.The support includes a cradle which contacts the curved periphery of adrum in two spaced locations. When positioned in the cradle, the drum istilted forward such that a leg, attached to the front hoop of the drum,rests in a stopper. Thus, direct clamping of the drum pedal to the drumis avoided.

An object of the present invention is to provide a pedal operated drumbeater device which addresses at least one of the aforementioneddisadvantages of conventional devices.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a broad aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a pedal operated drum beater device comprising a drum beaterwhich is restored to a rest position from an operative position by abiasing force substantially generated by a resilient member,characterised in that the resilient member comprises an elastomericmaterial. Preferably the biasing force is generated by stretching of theresilient member as the drum beater advances from the rest position tothe operative position. The elastomeric member may provide the majorityof the biasing force, particularly if the rebound energy from the beaterstriking the drum is discounted.

Conventionally, with drum pedals with an overarm action, the resilientmember is a metal coil spring. Surprisingly, the present applicant hasfound that the use of an elastomeric material in place of a metal springoffers a number of advantages. Firstly, the elastomeric material enablesthe drum beater to be operated more quickly as it makes it possible torestore the pedal to its starting position more rapidly. Secondly, theelastomeric material flexes silently which is not always the case with ametal coil spring where adjacent turns may clash together. Furthermore,the elastomeric material appears to have a beneficial effect on the"feel" of the pedal to musicians. This may be because the elastomerprovides more uniform resistance to the complex forces exerted on itduring each drum beat cycle. Mechanical hysteresis in the elastomericmaterial during operation may also play a role in the improved feel ofthe drum pedal of the present invention.

A preferred elastomeric material is natural rubber. Detailed testing hasdemonstrated that natural rubber is ideally suited to withstand thefatigue of prolonged and repeated use.

In one embodiment, the drum beater is mounted on a shaft which isrotated by operation of the pedal. Preferably, the pedal is coupled viaa rigid link to a lever mounted on the shaft, the rigid link beingpivotally connected to the lever and to the pedal.

A flexible linkage such as a chain or strap is commonly used to couplethe pedal to the shaft. Flexible linkages are susceptible to "lashback", an undesirable occurrence caused when the pedal is brought to asudden stop once it is restored to the rest position. Furthermore,flexible linkages are prone to generate noise particularly where a chainengages a sprocket mounted on the shaft. The use of a rigid linkobviates these difficulties.

The lever may comprise means varying the spacing between the shaft andpivotal connection between the rigid link and the lever. This adjustmenthas an effect on the torque transmitted to the shaft. Increasing thespacing means that less effort from the musician is required to impart agiven momentum to the drum beater, other factors being equal.

The drum beater may be substantially aligned with the central or medialplane of the pedal (that is, a plane substantially bisecting the drumpedal and aligned with the longitudinal axis of the drum pedal), and thelever on the shaft may be offset from the drum beater. Commonly,flexible linkages are aligned centrally, with the drum beater positionedoff-centre. With such an arrangement, it is necessary to off-set by asimilar amount the drum clamp which attaches the device to a drum,giving the whole apparatus a tendency to be lopsided. In contrast, acentrally aligned drum beater leads to improved overall balance.

In one arrangement, the pedal is pivotally mounted in a frame supportingthe shaft, the pivotal axis being parallel to the shaft. The frame maybe adjustable such that the spacing between the pivotal axis and shaftmay be varied. By varying the spacing, the inclination of the pedal isaltered and consequently the "feel" of the device to a musician changes.

The frame may comprise a base and a pillar in which the shaft ismounted, the pillar projecting from the base. The pillar may have aforward sweep such that the part of the pillar adjacent the shaftoverhangs the part of the pillar adjacent the base. Thus, the pillar maybe inclined away from the pivotal connection between the pedal andframe. The forward sweep of the pillar facilitates positioning of thedevice in front of a bass drum, and provides additional room forclamping the device to the drum.

The pedal operated drum beater device may comprise means for applying atensile stress to the resilient member when the drum beater is in therest position. Pre-stressing in this way enables the "feel" of thedevice to be adapted to the specific requirements of each musician. Thetensile stress applying means may comprise a carriage and a stop, withthe resilient member supported therebetween, the position of thecarriage with respect to the stop being controlled to vary the tensilepre-stress applied to the resilient member.

The drum beater may comprise a beater head attached to a rod, whereinthe rod is releasably held in a clamp mounted on the shaft. Thereleasable clamp arrangement enables the separation of the beater headfrom the shaft to be varied to suit the particular size of drum in frontof the device. The position of the clamp around the shaft may beadjustable to enable the musician to control the angular position of thedrum beater around the shaft. For example, the drum beater may be set at60° to the floor when in the rest position.

The clamp for mounting the rod on the shaft may comprise two parts, oneof which engages the rod in between spaced positions where the otherpart engages the rod when the two parts are urged together. In this way,the rod is securely supported, there being at least three staggeredpoints of contact, one of which is on the opposite side of the rod tothe others.

The beater head may have a profile which is substantially flat in onedirection, the direction being aligned substantially parallel to theshaft axis, and possibly perpendicular to the axis of the rod. Such aprofile enables an elongate region of the beater head to make contactwith the playing surface of a drum during percussion.

The pedal operated drum beater device may include a drum clamp forattaching the device to a drum, wherein the drum clamp is mounted on anadjustable member, movement of the adjustable member determining theposition of the clamp with respect to the rest of the device. Theadjustable member enables the distance between the device and the drumto be varied which may have an effect on where and how the drum beatermakes contact with the playing surface of the drum.

The pedal may comprise an elongate portion and a plate, the plate beingmoveable along the length of the elongate portion. The plate provides a`target` for the ball of the musician's foot.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a pedal operated drum beater device of the kind having anoverarm action (ie drum beater superposed, and not suspended) comprisinga drum beater which is restored to a rest position from an operativeposition by a resilient member, characterised in that the resilientmember comprises an elastomeric material. In accordance with yet anotheraspect of the present invention, there is provided a pedal operated drumbeater device comprising a rotatably mounted drum beater which isrestored to a rest position from an operative position by recovery of aresilient member, characterised in that the resilient member comprisesan elastomeric material aligned to flex in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the rotation axis of the drum beater. Preferredfeatures of the additional aspects of the invention are defined in thedependent claims to the first aspect of the invention.

According to another aspect, the present invention provides apparatusfor coupling a pedal operated drum beater device to a drum, comprising afirst part having means for attachment to the rim of the drum, and asecond part which in use is attached to the pedal operated drum beaterdevice, the first and second parts being releasably interlockable. Theparts may interlock through the pivotal engagement of one part with theother.

The pivotal engagement may be such that the playing surface of the drumis pivotable towards the pedal operated drum device in order tointerlock the parts. The pivotal engagement may thus allow pivotalmovement about a horizontal axis, lateral to the longitudal extent ofthe pedal. The pivotal coupling may provide a degree of flexibility inthe selection of the orientation of the drum with respect to the pedaloperated drum beater device. The coupling also allows for rotationalmovement between the drum and the device when the parts are no longerinterlocked which may prevent damage to the drum rim.

The first and second parts may comprise a member attached to one partand a recess in the other part, the member being nested in the recess.Preferably, the member has a curved periphery, with the recess having acorresponding profile. The curved surfaces facilitate rotationalmovement of the member within the recess.

In a preferred form, one of the parts comprises a resilient portionwhich bears against the other part, urging the member into the recess,when the parts are interlocked. The two parts may interlock through asnap-fit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the inventions will now be described, by way of example,with reference to the accompanying Figures in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a pedal operated drum beater deviceembodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a reverse perspective view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a front elevation of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a rear elevation of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a bottom plan view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows a side elevation of the device of FIG. 1 and illustratesthe drum beater action;

FIG. 7 shows a side elevation of the device of FIG. 1 and illustratespedal adjustment;

FIG. 8 shows component detail of the drum beater mechanism of the deviceof FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 shows component detail of the drum beater of the device of FIG.1;

FIG. 10 shows details of a drum clamp used to attach the device of FIG.1 to a drum;

FIG. 11 shows details of part of the drum clamp of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 shows schematically the flexibility of the drum clamp of FIG.10, and

FIG. 13 shows schematically a shaft coupling for use with twin drumbeaters.

MODES OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a pedal operated drum beater device 20 comprising a pedal22 and a drum beater 24. As shown in FIG. 6, depressing the pedal 22causes the drum beater 24 to advance from a rest position (A) to anoperative position (B) shown in phantom lines. The downward movement ofthe pedal 22 is opposed by the resilience of elastomeric strip 26, whichstretches and bends as the drum beater 24 advances to the operativeposition. As soon as the downward force on the pedal 22 is released, theelastomeric strip 26 pulls the drum beater 24 back to the rest position,restoring the pedal 22 to its starting position.

A plate 28 is mounted on pedal 22 and is positioned along its lengthaccording to where the ball of a musician's foot presses against thepedal 22. The pedal 22 is pivotally mounted in frame 30 which includes arest 32 for the heel of the musician's foot and pillar-like supports 34and 35. The supports 34, 35 are inclined away from the heel rest 32. Thedrum beater 24 is mounted on a shaft 36 which is journalled in supports34, 35. As seen from FIG. 3, the drum beater 24 and pedal are centredaround a plane passing through the middle of device 20. A lever 38 isalso mounted on the shaft 36, on one side of the drum beater 24, and ispivotally coupled via rigid link 40 to the pedal 22. In this way, as thepedal 22 pivots downwards, the link 40 exerts a force on lever 38 whichrotates the shaft 36, thereby advancing the drum beater 24 into theoperative position.

A cam 42 is mounted on one end of shaft 36 and is coupled to theuppermost part of elastomeric strip 26. The lowermost part of theelastomeric strip 26 is attached to carriage 44 which is anchored tosupport 34. The elastomeric strip 26 has widened end portions 46 whichbear against pairs of lugs 48 on the cam 42 and the carriage 44. As theshaft 36 rotates to advance the drum beater 24 into the operativeposition, the cam 42 rotates, stretching and bending the elastomericstrip 26. As soon as the downward force on the pedal 22 is removed, theelastomeric strip 26 contracts, pulling on the cam 42 and restoring thedrum beater 24 to its rest position.

The carriage 44 is anchored to the support 34 by a bolt 50. The shaft ofthe bolt 50 passes through a hole in rest 52, which is attached to thesupport 34, and screws into a threaded bore in the carriage 44. The headof the bolt 50 bears against the rest 52 when there is no slack in theelastomeric strip 26. If the bolt 50 is screwed further into thecarriage 44, the carriage is pulled further away from shaft 36,resulting in a tensile force being applied to the elastomeric strip 26when the drum beater 24 is in the rest position. A locking screw 54 maybe engaged to pin the carriage 44 firmly to the support 34. The carriage44 carries a replacement elastomeric strip 27.

The frame 30 comprises a first part which includes the heel rest 32 anda second part which includes the supports 34, 35. The first part ismounted on runners 60, 61 which are attached to the second part. Whenthe desired frame size is chosen, locking screws are tightened to holdthe first part rigidly to the runners 60, 61. Adjusting the frame sizein this way has an effect on the position of the pedal 22. By moving thefirst and second parts closer together, the pedal 22 becomes moresteeply inclined to the horizontal. As the inclination of the pedal 22increases, so the position of the pivotal connection 64 between thepedal 22 and rigid link 40 changes. The change results in an increase inthe magnitude of the angle (X) at the pivotal connection 66 between thelever 38 and rigid link 40.

The effective length of lever 38 is adjustable. The lever 38 isreleasably mounted on the shaft 36, enabling the spacing (r) between theshaft and pivotal connection 66 to be varied between the limits r¹ andr². By increasing the spacing from r¹ to r², the torque applied to theshaft increases, if the force pivoting the pedal 22 remains constant.The lever 38 therefore influences the "feel" of the drum beating actionto a musician.

The drum beater 24 comprises a drum head 70 attached to one end of a rod72. The rod 72 is held in clamp 74 which itself is mounted on the shaft36 with clamp 76. The shaft 36 is splined to provide a firm grippingsurface for clamp 76. The jaws 78, 79 of clamp 74 are staggered withrespect to each other, such that they engage the rod in three locations,with jaw 78 engaging the opposite side of rod 72 to the spaced jaws 79.The clamp 76 enables the drum beater 24 to be mounted at differentorientations with respect to the lever 38. The rest position of the drumbeater 24 may thus be adjusted by the musician.

The beater head 70 is reversible and comprises two cylinders, one of arelatively hard material such as nylon and the other of a relativelysoft material such as felt. The cylinders are aligned with theirlongitudinal axes substantially perpendicular to the rod axis. In use,the curved surface of one of the cylinders preselected by the musicianmakes contact along its entire length with the playing surface of thedrum.

The attachment of the device 20 to a drum 80 is illustrated in FIG. 10,in which support 35 has been omitted for clarity. A drum clamp 82 ismounted on the end of arm 84 which slides in, and is lockable withrespect to, housing 86. The housing is disposed midway between supports34, 35. The length of arm 84 extending from the housing 86 is chosen toattain the desired spacing between the device 20 and the drum 80, andthen the arm 84 and housing 86 are fastened together by tightening screw88.

The drum clamp 82 is formed in two parts which consist of a rim clamp 90and a rim clamp holder 100 which is attached to the arm 84. The rimclamp 90 has a pair of opposed jaws which have a profile to grip snuglythe arcuate rim 92 of the drum 80. An elongate rib 94 is provided on theunderside of rim clamp 90, and a corresponding recess 102 is provided inthe rim clamp holder 100. When the two parts of the drum clamp 82 areinterlocked together the rib 94 rests in recess 102 whilst lip 104 bearsagainst shoulder 96. The lip 104 is formed of nylon whose resilienceprovides a force acting on the shoulder 96 which urges the rib 94 intothe recess 102. The engagement between the lip 104 and shoulder 96 isachieved through a "snap-fit" action.

The rib 94 has a semi-circular cross-section, facilitating a smallamount of sliding movement between the rib and the recess 102. Thisenables the rim clamp 90 to pivot independently of the rim clamp holder100 about an axis along the length of the rib 94. Thus, when the rimclamp 90 is clamped to the rim 92, the playing face of the drum is ableto tilt through angle (y) towards the device 20, facilitating engagementbetween the lip 104 and shoulder 96.

The rim clamp holder 100 has screw-threaded, ground-engaging spikes 106which provide additional grip between the floor and the device 20 whenengaged.

The device 20 may be adapted to carry twin drum beaters. In such anarrangement, one of the drum beaters is driven by pedal 22 in the waypreviously described, whilst the other drum beater is operated by aseparate foot pedal device. The drum beaters are mounted on separateshafts 120, 122 which are coupled concentrically in between supports 34,35. As shown in FIG. 13, one of shafts 120 has a housing 124 attached tothe end adjacent the other shaft 122. The housing 124 holds bearing 126which supports the shaft 122. The bearing 126 enables the shafts 120,122 to be rotated independently of each other. A spare rest 52' isprovided on supported 35 to enable a second elastomeric strip to be usedwith the second drum eater.

What is claimed is:
 1. Apparatus for coupling a pedal operated drumbeater device to a drum having a drum rim, comprising a first parthaving means for attachment to the rim of the drum, a second part whichin use is attached to the pedal operated drum beater device, the firstand second parts being releasably interlockable through the pivotableengagement of one part with the other, wherein the first and secondparts comprise a member attached to one part and a recess in the otherpart, the member being nested in the recess when the parts are pivotallyengaged.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the member has acurved periphery, with the recess having a corresponding profile. 3.Apparatus according to claim 1, in which one of the parts comprises aresilient portion which bears against the other part, urging the memberinto the recess, when the parts are interlocked.
 4. Apparatus accordingto claim 1, in which the member and recess are elongate and have alongitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis being aligned substantiallyparallel to a playing surface of the drum when attached to the pedaloperated drum beater device.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, in whichthe first and second parts interlock with a snap fit action.